Classical Music Radio stations ONLINE

[Roger Webb]

Well, I haven't been very successful in finding out much - drilling into the menus didn't elicit any useful info. However, I managed to find the manual and it says it uses the Frontier Silicon internet radio portal. Does that tell you anything? I recall that not long after we got the Cello in 2018 I had to do a complete re-tune of the internet radio because something had changed. I can't remember what exactly though. Sorry not to be more informative at this stage.

Thanks HMV, I suppose it doesn't matter to the average smart speaker owner...as long as it works! I think there are some digital systems that are particular to individual manufacturers.....the ones I do know about are the ones I've been unlucky enough to purchase as part of a streamer package.....twice!

I now use a tablet just for radio which is connected to my main system....could have done that in the first place and saved nearly £1000!

Edit: Frontier Silicon was the clue, they use a service called Airable, which is the radio aggregator, and unlike a lot of other services they've done a deal with the BBC so that the BBC HLS/DASH streams are available.....the change to this seems to have happened in 2018, so that would explain the reset you had to perform. I presume you get all the foreign stations and BBC services? Just ignore this if you're getting bored with it! But it might help others in the same boat as me!

[hmvman]

Thanks HMV, I suppose it doesn't matter to the average smart speaker owner...as long as it works! I think there are some digital systems that are particular to individual manufacturers.....the ones I do know about are the ones I've been unlucky enough to purchase as part of a streamer package.....twice!

I now use a tablet just for radio which is connected to my main system....could have done that in the first place and saved nearly £1000!

Edit: Frontier Silicon was the clue, they use a service called Airable, which is the radio aggregator, and unlike a lot of other services they've done a deal with the BBC so that the BBC HLS/DASH streams are available.....the change to this seems to have happened in 2018, so that would explain the reset you had to perform. I presume you get all the foreign stations and BBC services? Just ignore this if you're getting bored with it! But it might help others in the same boat as me!

No, I'm not getting bored, it's interesting to me too! Thanks for the background on Frontier Silicon. Yes, we get all the BBC services and there's a huge list of foreign stations, although I tend to only use YLE Klassinen and, occasionally, Ancient FM for classical music and Phonotone Classic for 1920s/30s dance bands. I should spend some more time exploring but it's a little tedious using the Cello's menu system.

[Roger Webb]

No, I'm not getting bored, it's interesting to me too! Thanks for the background on Frontier Silicon. Yes, we get all the BBC services and there's a huge list of foreign stations, although I tend to only use YLE Klassinen and, occasionally, Ancient FM for classical music and Phonotone Classic for 1920s/30s dance bands. I should spend some more time exploring but it's a little tedious using the Cello's menu system.

The number of forum members listening to YLE seems to be going up! I find it absorbing - the repertoire is so varied and interesting....I pride myself on a pretty wide knowledge of the 'classical' canon incl. early music and 20th cent. stuff, but often four or five pieces in a morning are by composers unknown to me - and, crucially, we get to hear the whole work....well, some opera arias are excerpts, but I think that is acceptable.

Apart from YLE I listen regularly to WDR 3 (good technical quality, great evening concerts), SWR Kultur (ditto WDR), NPO 4 (Holland's main classical station), BR Klassik (probably my favorite station. Based in Munich, lots of good live evening concerts, great sound), RBB3 (Berlin's classical station, everything you'd expect from this city! I spent a year working there and loved it), have this on now...Also Sprach Z just started...stunning opening....with readings from Nietzsche.

[hmvman]

The number of forum members listening to YLE seems to be going up! I find it absorbing - the repertoire is so varied and interesting....I pride myself on a pretty wide knowledge of the 'classical' canon incl. early music and 20th cent. stuff, but often four or five pieces in a morning are by composers unknown to me - and, crucially, we get to hear the whole work....well, some opera arias are excerpts, but I think that is acceptable.

Apart from YLE I listen regularly to WDR 3 (good technical quality, great evening concerts), SWR Kultur (ditto WDR), NPO 4 (Holland's main classical station), BR Klassik (probably my favorite station. Based in Munich, lots of good live evening concerts, great sound), RBB3 (Berlin's classical station, everything you'd expect from this city! I spent a year working there and loved it), have this on now...Also Sprach Z just started...stunning opening....with readings from Nietzsche.

Yes, well as I've said before YLE is my go-to station in the mornings now. I agree about the range of music and the number of 'unknown' composers. I did get a little tired of violin sonatas early last week though! The other thing I like is that they don't shy away from playing historical/classic recordings; also last week I heard the Bach Double Violin Concerto played by Yehudi Menuhin and Isaac Stern with Bernstein conducting the NYPO. Those were the sorts of recordings that would've appeared on 'CD Masters' on R3 years ago but not anymore.

Actually, I do have WDR3 and BR Klassik in the radio's presets but I haven't visited for some time.

[Roger Webb]

Yes, well as I've said before YLE is my go-to station in the mornings now. I agree about the range of music and the number of 'unknown' composers. I did get a little tired of violin sonatas early last week though! The other thing I like is that they don't shy away from playing historical/classic recordings; also last week I heard the Bach Double Violin Concerto played by Yehudi Menuhin and Isaac Stern with Bernstein conducting the NYPO. Those were the sorts of recordings that would've appeared on 'CD Masters' on R3 years ago but not anymore.

Actually, I do have WDR3 and BR Klassik in the radio's presets but I haven't visited for some time.

Yes, I saw the comment about the violin sonatas, and agree up to a point....especially when it's Brahms 1st, or Grieg 3rd, or Franck again.
I heard the Bach Double 'blind' as it were, and obviously identified it as an 'historical recording (mono?), but couldn't identify the soloists - remarking to my wife 'intonation not too good in places'. I was a bit ashamed when I looked at the 'Playing Now' to learn the identity of the soloists! I miss Rob Cowen too...I think he knew the repertoire through-and-through, and, importantly the recordings...from the earliest to the latest. On Classic FM they used to have David Mellor (Sunday nights) who, whatever you think of politics, was most knowledgeable of historical recordings - a lawyer friend who shared chambers with Mellor said they spent their lunchtimes in either record shops or restaurants!

[richardfinegold]

I was able to pull it up on the Stream Magic App of my Cambridge Audio streamer. Unfortunately it doesn’t list the music being played, which the app does for every other station that I listen to. I then tried the web site which directed me to the Radio.net app, which I already use to Bluetooth internet radio in my car. This app also does not identify the music being played. I couldn’t find a schedule anywhere, but I don’t speak a word of Finnish.
One of the apps identified the Bite Rate as 125. I assume this is meant to be 128, but I’ve never seen that before

[Roger Webb]

I was able to pull it up on the Stream Magic App of my Cambridge Audio streamer. Unfortunately it doesn’t list the music being played, which the app does for every other station that I listen to. I then tried the web site which directed me to the Radio.net app, which I already use to Bluetooth internet radio in my car. This app also does not identify the music being played. I couldn’t find a schedule anywhere, but I don’t speak a word of Finnish.
One of the apps identified the Bite Rate as 125. I assume this is meant to be 128, but I’ve never seen that before

Hello Richard, try vRadio app. instead of Radio.net. vRadio gives a choice of bitrates, the best for YLE being AAC 256. Another advantage of the vRadio app. is that when on the transmission page for the particular station, tapping the little digital waterfall (top right on my tablet) brings up the option of 'visit website'. This page I have on 'auto' Google translate, and it instantly gives 'Playing Now' - it is possible to bring up the complete list of music to be played....I'm looking at this morning's right now to decide what I want to listen to - they all have accurate timings too.

I don't know how the Stream Magic app works, but it may be similar to the Play-fi app. I use with my Quad preamp/streamer, this is good for non UK stations (incl. YLE) but not for BBC streams. Does your Cambridge have BBC stations now?

[oddoneout]

Isn't that typical! I've largely got the hang of BR-Klassik and Yle, so at least I have music, although with a couple of not insignificant compromises. Then yesterday afternoon the internet started playing up, dropping out completely in the evening, and this morning I came down to find the little red light gleefully shining out... It's been rebooted but is twitchy, so a couple of gaps already. Oh well I'll enjoy it while I can and hope that I can complete the emails and other stuff I need to do without too many hold-ups. I'm just hoping it's a local issue(not uncommon) rather than my internet so-called provider.

[richardfinegold]

Hello Richard, try vRadio app. instead of Radio.net. vRadio gives a choice of bitrates, the best for YLE being AAC 256. Another advantage of the vRadio app. is that when on the transmission page for the particular station, tapping the little digital waterfall (top right on my tablet) brings up the option of 'visit website'. This page I have on 'auto' Google translate, and it instantly gives 'Playing Now' - it is possible to bring up the complete list of music to be played....I'm looking at this morning's right now to decide what I want to listen to - they all have accurate timings too.

I don't know how the Stream Magic app works, but it may be similar to the Play-fi app. I use with my Quad preamp/streamer, this is good for non UK stations (incl. YLE) but not for BBC streams. Does your Cambridge have BBC stations now?

I use the CA app to access the BBC. The app also controls the files on my NAS and podcasts.
I was linked to Radio.net from the YLE site. As mentioned I already had the app.
I’ll try adding radio radio and then finding YLE through it

ed- it didn’t go well. I paid the $3 for the app. It has very limited search capacity. Tried typing the app in the search engine a few different ways and the closest that I got was the 24 hour Kelly Clarkston station.
I just installed a Wiim Streamer in my basement surround sound system Friday. The app for this $100 dollar streamer is fantastic. The YLE came right up in the search

[Roger Webb]

I use the CA app to access the BBC. The app also controls the files on my NAS and podcasts.
I was linked to Radio.net from the YLE site. As mentioned I already had the app.
I’ll try adding radio radio (?) and then finding YLE through it

ed- it didn’t go well. I paid the $3 for the app. It has very limited search capacity. Tried typing the app in the search engine a few different ways and the closest that I got was the 24 hour Kelly Clarkston station.
I just installed a Wiim Streamer in my basement surround sound system Friday. The app for this $100 dollar streamer is fantastic. The YLE came right up in the search

Erm, which app. did you pay $3 for ? The vRadio (Edit. VRadio) is free....at least the version for Android. It has the occasional advert, but only when you change stations, never during music.

The search facility of the VRadio app. is amazing....I have saved every station I listen to - except BBC ones, they stopped a week ago; part of the BBCs intention of making it harder to listen to them!

I heard good reviews of the Wiim stuff

I'd forgotten the Cambridge streamers have their own control app.

[mopsus]

We've dipped into YLE Klassinen for a few hours and enjoyed what we've heard. We have wondered though whether a) they tend to favour shorter (though complete) works; b) they have a playlist so after a while you'd hear the same pieces over again; c) they rely on commercial recordings, not going and recording or broadcasting live performances; d) they mix periods and genres up so that you don't get an extended programme of pieces in dialogue with one another.

[Roger Webb]

We've dipped into YLE Klassinen for a few hours and enjoyed what we've heard. We have wondered though whether a) they tend to favour shorter (though complete) works; b) they have a playlist so after a while you'd hear the same pieces over again; c) they rely on commercial recordings, not going and recording or broadcasting live performances; d) they mix periods and genres up so that you don't get an extended programme of pieces in dialogue with one another.

As a long-term listener I might make a few observations......

a) not really, it's never struck me that there is a 'policy' to play shorter works....see point c)

b) I've noticed that works do tend to be repeated, but over quite a long timespan - I suppose this would be true of any
broadcaster. I have no impression of a 'playlist' as such, so varied is their output.

c) yes they rely mainly on commercial recordings, but the choices are very wide-ranging in style, period perf. etc. As for live
Perfs. YLE was one of the few European stations to carry the whole Bayreuth Ring from last year's festival!

d) they do tend to mix up periods and genres - although as has been pointed out above, at the moment there are a lot of violin
sonatas about! They have a slight prerogative for baroque music actually. They don't seem to have a gender or racial bias -
unlike the BBC. You're right, I can determine no rhyme or reason to the programming..... serendipity rules....wonderful,
isn't it!

All in all it's my favourite place for daytime, mainly morning listening....I nearly said 'undemanding' listening, but that suggests some sort of dumbing-down of content, this is certainly not the case with YLE.......that can be safely left in other hands!

[richardfinegold]

Erm, which app. did you pay $3 for ? The vRadio (Edit. VRadio) is free....at least the version for Android. It has the occasional advert, but only when you change stations, never during music.

The search facility of the VRadio app. is amazing....I have saved every station I listen to - except BBC ones, they stopped a week ago; part of the BBCs intention of making it harder to listen to them!

I heard good reviews of the Wiim stuff

I'd forgotten the Cambridge streamers have their own control app.

Some Feedback.
The Apple Store only offers a version of VRadio that costs $3.00. No free option offered. The logo on the app is identical to…
2) I pulled up an old Android tablet, used the Google Play Store to find the free version of this app
3) The Apple version offers about 5% of the functionality of the Android app. It doesn’t list Finland as a country choice. I typed in the station in myriad different ways in search efforts and didn’t find it.
4) The Android app offers the bit rate at 256. However it didn’t identify the work. The app offered a link to the station website. That identifies the work playing. However the website doesn’t offer a way to send the music to my streamer. The Android app offers the Chromecast icon, so I could send it to my Chromecast receiver in my CA streamer, but I would have to be simultaneously checking the web site to know what’s playing
5) I could not access the YLE website from an iOS device. There are several tabs in Safari or DuckDuckGo, but none that offered the current stream

So in conclusion there are many ways to listen to YLE- it’s been added as a preset to my CA streamer in Stream Magic—but the only way to know what is playing is to be on the website from a non Apple Device . Given the amount competition in the Internet Radio World, I doubt that this will be much of a listen for me going forward

[Roger Webb]

Some Feedback.
The Apple Store only offers a version of VRadio that costs $3.00. No free option offered. The logo on the app is identical to…
2) I pulled up an old Android tablet, used the Google Play Store to find the free version of this app
3) The Apple version offers about 5% of the functionality of the Android app. It doesn’t list Finland as a country choice. I typed in the station in myriad different ways in search efforts and didn’t find it.
4) The Android app offers the bit rate at 256. However it didn’t identify the work. The app offered a link to the station website. That identifies the work playing. However the website doesn’t offer a way to send the music to my streamer. The Android app offers the Chromecast icon, so I could send it to my Chromecast receiver in my CA streamer, but I would have to be simultaneously checking the web site to know what’s playing
5) I could not access the YLE website from an iOS device. There are several tabs in Safari or DuckDuckGo, but none that offered the current stream

So in conclusion there are many ways to listen to YLE- it’s been added as a preset to my CA streamer in Stream Magic—but the only way to know what is playing is to be on the website from a non Apple Device . Given the amount competition in the Internet Radio World, I doubt that this will be much of a listen for me going forward

Yes, sorry for the confusion....I've no experience with Apple devices - I didn't know the ios version of the VRadio app. was so useless!
I use the Android version of VRadio and have it on a Lenovo tablet that is connected from its USBc output straight to my Quad pre/DAC and it works flawlessly at, as you say, 256k. But the snag is, as you also say, there's no 'playing now', but using the three dots to 'visit website' it's possible to see what's 'playing now' (whilst still listening to the VRadio output) and by tapping the square picture of musical instruments - they vary from trumpets to piano etc depending on time of day, and then find the drop-down arrow next to 'show more' and the schedule for the whole period incl. timings is shown...they're two hours ahead of UK time...probably seven where you are.

I find a very useful function on the VRadio app. is the record button...but it only does that at 128 kbts.

We are in a worse pickle in the UK with BBC services as many streamers are now not able to receive our national broadcaster, in the country where we pay our taxes and licence!!

[AuntDaisy]

Yes, sorry for the confusion....I've no experience with Apple devices - I didn't know the ios version of the VRadio app. was so useless!
I use the Android version of VRadio and have it on a Lenovo tablet that is connected from its USBc output straight to my Quad pre/DAC and it works flawlessly at, as you say, 256k. But the snag is, as you also say, there's no 'playing now', but using the three dots to 'visit website' it's possible to see what's 'playing now' (whilst still listening to the VRadio output) and by tapping the square picture of musical instruments - they vary from trumpets to piano etc depending on time of day, and then find the drop-down arrow next to 'show more' and the schedule for the whole period incl. timings is shown...they're two hours ahead of UK time...probably seven where you are.

I find a very useful function on the VRadio app. is the record button...but it only does that at 128 kbts.

We are in a worse pickle in the UK with BBC services as many streamers are now not able to receive our national broadcaster, in the country where we pay our taxes and licence!!

Yes, it's very frustrating - and I object to being forced in to using the abysmal SOUNDS app.
Radio 3's stream disappeared/moved at the start of last week, R4's the week before.
It may not be help, but here's a link to the new R3 stream (up to 320kbps).